Gymnasts as abused pygmies? Say what, TJ?
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
PHILADELPHIA -- So T.J. Simers seems to think (female only) gymnasts are some sort of abused, artificially shortened mutants being used as unwitting pawns in their parents’ evil plan to create tiny, glory-hounds who are sent away from home as babies until they win an Olympic medal. Then apparently they are unchained and allowed to grow to normal size, have menstrual cycles and be physically (for some) and emotionally stunted adults.
Just FYI, Shawn Johnson’s parents Doug and Teri are no more than an inch or two (or maybe three for Doug) taller than their 4-foot-9 daughter. Who goes to her local high school, lives at home, went to prom and makes one trip a month to a U.S. training camp in Houston.
Samantha Peszek’s mother Luann was a gymnast and the former USA director of public relations. It’s probably not an upset nor any more ‘abusive’ that Sam is a gymnast than if her mother had been a doctor and Sam went to medical school or if her father had been a vet and Sam volunteered at an animal shelter for a few hours a week.
If T.J. would like to move into the 21st century of gymnastics observations, he would notice
that of the top 12 female gymnasts, only one has moved away from home for training.
He might at least note that top-level male basketball players are playing for traveling AAU teams in the seventh and eighth grade. Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo are no more or less driven than Shawn Johnson or Nastia Liukin but if you want to suggest which of those four spent more time in academic pursuits and less time on the road in pursuit of sporting excellence, I’ll take an (educated) guess -- Johnson and Liukin.
My niece (my husband’s sister’s daughter) was an 18-year-old platform diver at the 1996 Olympics. Her name is Becky Ruehl and once she got the first taste of the dangerous thrill of hurling off that 30-foot platform, there was no stopping her. The drive to be great, the commitment to twice-daily practices, the willingness to accept some pain, did not come from her parents. But they couldn’t stop it either. Becky will say to anyone who listens that going to the Olympics was a life-affirming opportunity. She’s now married and has advanced degrees in art and architecture and will soon be teaching in college.
Becky started out in gymnastics. I guess she was lucky to escape with her height and soul intact.
-- Diane Pucin
Editor’s note: Diane Pucin has covered elite gymnastics, among many other sports, since 1992, when she covered the Barcelona Olympics.
Shawn Johson, left, may be shorter than Nastia Liukin, right, but Johnson has the best chance for individual gold in Beijing. Credit: Stew Milne / US Presswire